GB406930A - Improvements in base exchange water softening apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

406,930. Softening water. UNITED WATER SOFTENERS, Ltd., Aldwych House, Aldwych, London. Aug. 30, 1933, No. 24102. Convention date, Jan. 20. [Class 46.] In base - exchange water - softening apparatus the flow of water during treatment, back-flushing, regeneration, and rinsing is controlled by a valve member which is in continuous rotation during the re-conditioning cycle and during the cycle bye-passes hard water to the service main. The valve is shown in section in Fig. 17, and comprises a lower chamber divided into compartments 25, 26, 27, 28, Fig. 3, which arc connected respectively to the top of the zeolite container, to the bottom of the zeolite container, to a soft water discharge main and to a drain, a compartment 29 communicating by means of an injector nozzle with the top of the zeolite container, and a compartment 30 connected to a brine storage tank. These compartments are covered by a fixed plate 21, having ports as indicated in Fig. 10. A disc 22 of hard rubber and having a slot 38, Fig. 8, grooves 39, 44 on the lower surface and recesses 42, 88 at the edge, is held in contact with the plate 21 by a spring 33 and rotated by means of a spindle 65 and worm gearing from an electric motor 57. The motor and worm gear are mounted as a removable unit above the valve. The space 31 above the disc 22 is connected to the hard water supply main. The arrangements of ports is such that as the disc 22 makes one continuous revolution, from the position in which it allows water to pass downward through the base-exchange material for treatment and away to the soft water main, it passes successively through positions in which (a) there is a back-flush of water through the treatment chamber and away to the drain, (b) water passes through the injector and after a short interval draws brine with it through the base-exchange material and away to the drain, (c) water passes in the reverse direction through the brine supply passages so as to flush them, (d) water passes downward through the baseexchange material to remove to the drain any brine retained by it, the flow being at first slow and its rate increasing later. The grooves 42, 88 in the disc 22 and ports 40, 51 in the plate 21 ensure that in all positions of the valve during reconditioning water can pass untreated to the soft water discharge main. In order that the motor 57 may stop when the disc 22 has completed one revolution, the circuit of the motor includes conducting arms 79, 80, Fig. 20, which contact with a metal cam 75 having a plug 78 of insulating material in its periphery. The cam is rotated by gearing connected to that by which the valve is rotated and such that the cam makes half a rotation for each rotation of the valve. The motor may be started manually by a four-point two-position switch 69 or by a three-point two position switch 70 which may be at a distance from the softening apparatus and may be moved over manually or by a clock or water meter. The motor stops when the plug 78 reaches the arm 79 or the arm 80. If either of the switches 69, 70 are operated twice at an interval sufficient for the arm 79 or the arm 80 to ride over the plug 78 two reconditioning cycles will follow in close succession. Specification 353,543 is referred to.